Two-Layer Method in Short-Term Pancreas Preservation for Successful Islet Isolation

We sought to determine whether the two-layer method (TLM) offers advantages over UW storage solution for locally procured pancreata with cold ischemia time of .05). Organs preserved with TLM were exposed to PFC for 4 ± 0.5 (2 to 7.5) hours. After TLM preservation, 8 of 11 (72%) pancreata yielded >300,000 IEQ pancreatic islets, which met all criteria for clinical transplantation; after UW cold storage, only 3 of 11 isolations were equally successful (27%) ( P < .05). Mean IEQ was higher in the TLM than in the UW group: 349,000 ± 37,000 vs 277,800 ± 34,000; IEQ/g was also higher at 5100 ± 760 vs 3000 ± 570, respectively ( P < .05). Islet quality, characterized by purity, viability, and insulin SI, did not differ statistically in the two groups: 67 ± 4 vs 74 ± 4%, 87 ± 2 vs 83 ± 4%, and 4 ± 0.7 vs 4.8 ± 1, respectively ( P > .05). The Two Layer Method for locally procured human pancreata with cold ischemia time lower than 8 hours offers significant advantage over UW cold storage increasing the pancreatic islet isolation yield and the isolation success rate.